1. Field of the invention
The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to film cartridges. More specifically, the invention relates to a film cartridge that is capable of propelling or thrusting a film leader from inside to outside the cartridge housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly assigned, prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,682, issued Sep. 10, 1991, discloses a film cartridge in which a film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled about a spool rotationally supported inside the cartridge housing. A pair of flexible, independently rotatable flanges are coaxially arranged on the spool to radially confine the film leader within respective skirted peripheries of the flanges to prevent the leader from substantially contacting an interior wall of the cartridge housing. A stripper projecting from the interior wall is received between a leading end of the film leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll to free the leader from the flanges and guide it into a lighttight passageway out of the cartidge housing responsive to rotation of the spool in a film unwinding direction. The stripper frees the film leader from the flanges by inducing the leader to flex the flanges away from each other at their skirted peripheries during unwinding rotation of the spool.